Fred Astaire at Reel Classics: Biography Reel Classics > Stars > Actors > Fred Astaire > Fred Astaire Biography | Filmography | Awards | Articles | Bibliography | News | Links | Downloads | Image Credits | Screen Teams: Ginger Rogers and Fred Astaire | FUNNY FACE Biography: Though on screen Fred was most often associated with a top hat, white tie and tails, in real life he detested formal dress and looked on his signature costume as work clothes. FREDERICK AUSTERLITZ was born on May 10, 1899 in Omaha, Nebraska to Frederic E. Austerlitz, an Austrian immigrant and traveling salesman, and his wife Ann Geilus Austerlitz. His sister Adele, older by eighteen months, showed a talent for dancing at an early age, and although only four years old, young Fred accompanied his sister to ballet school. In 1904, Mrs. Austerlitz moved with the children to New York where they were enrolled in a performing arts school run by Ned Wayburn, one of the pioneers of modern tap dancing.

The following year Fred and Adele made their vaudeville debut on a stage in New Jersey as a miniature bride and groom, and began touring on the Orpheum circuit in an act called "Juvenile Artists Presenting an Electric Musical Toe-Dancing Novelty." Though Fred sporadically attended public school in New Jersey, most of his schooling came on the road under his mother's tutelage. With the advent of World War I, the Austerlitz's anglicized their name to "Astaire" and the teenage brother-sister hoofers began to make the new name famous. In 1917 the pair made their Broadway debut in a musical revue called "Over the Top," and although the show itself didn't fare well, the Astaires received very positive notices. Though they seldom had any lines, Fred and Adele danced their way through a number of musical revues until in 1922 they were cast in "For Goodness' Sake" with songs by George and Ira Gershwin. Although they had sixth billing, they stole the show.

Throughout the 1920s, the Astaires danced their way to stardom by way of such triumphs as "Funny Face," "Lady, Be Good!" and "The Band Wagon." However in 1932, Adele retired from show business to marry Lord Charles Cavendish, and Fred was left to fend for himself. Because his sister was usually regarded as the better dancer of the two, and the plots of most of their shows together accommodated the fact that they were siblings in real life, Fred was not regarded as a much of a romantic leading man. In 1932 however, he struck out on his own with a new partner, Claire Luce, starring in Cole Porter's comedy musical "The Gay Divorce" in which he introduced the song "Night and Day." "The Gay Divorce" would be Fred's last stage musical. That same year, anxious to escape his reputation as Adele's brother, Fred made a screen test for RKO and was signed by studio head David O. Selznick despite doubts about his physical appearance and acting ability.

Because RKO had no projects ready for him, Fred made his film debut on loan-out to MGM in DANCING LADY (1933) with Joan Crawford and Clark Gable . He had one number. Still without work at RKO , Fred went to London to tour with "The Gay Divorce." When he returned, he was cast as an accordion player in a musical love-triangle story starring Gene Raymond, Dolores Del Rio and Raul Roulien called FLYING DOWN TO RIO (1933). His female counterpart in the film was an up-and-coming RKO contract player named Ginger Rogers , and after their one dance number together stole the picture from the three stars, Fred and Ginger became the silver screen's most popular dancing duo. Astaire with composer Irving Berlin who contributed songs to six of Fred's films including TOP HAT (1935) and EASTER PARADE (1948).

Astaire and Rogers made a total of nine musicals together at RKO between 1933 and 1939, and though Ginger made several other comedies and solo musicals between her films with Fred, Astaire made only one film without Rogers -- DAMSEL IN DISTRESS (1937) with Joan Fontaine . It was the only film of his career to lose money at the box-office. More than just a dancer in his films with Rogers , Astaire proved himself an accomplished choreographer. With the help of RKO dance director Hermes Pan , he spent months experimenting with new moves and developing fresh routines for the films. The easygoing air that became his trademark both in his tap solos and tap/ballroom numbers with Rogers resulted from hours of painstaking work. Astaire was frequently described as a perfectionist, and Adele had even nick-named him "Moaning Minnie" for his workaholic ways. The results spoke for themselves however, and Fred and Ginger 's musicals were some of the biggest money-makers of the Great Depression.

As their first starring vehicle, RKO adapted "The Gay Divorce" (retitled THE GAY DIVORCEE (1934)) which proved a huge success. And though the pair was second-billed behind Irene Dunne in ROBERTA (1935), for TOP HAT (1935) and subsequent films including FOLLOW THE FLEET (1935), SWING TIME (1936) and SHALL WE DANCE (1937), they appeared above the title. By the time THE STORY OF VERNON AND IRENE CASTLE was released in 1939, Fred and Ginger 's popularity had waned and both decided to go their separate ways. Fred was wary of the possible repercussions of being again known only as part of a pair, and Ginger was anxious to try her hand at more serious dramatic acting. His contract at RKO having run out, Fred spent the next several years free-lancing at various studios, dancing with a variety of new partners.

Though BROADWAY MELODY OF 1940 with Eleanor Powell received mixed reviews, YOU'LL NEVER GET RICH (1941) and YOU WERE NEVER LOVELIER (1942) helped rocket Columbia starlet Rita Hayworth to stardom. However, after the lackluster box-office performance of YOLANDA AND THE THIEF (1945) with Lucille Bremer and BLUE SKIES (1946) with Bing Crosby , Fred announced his retirement from motion pictures and began to concentrate on opening a chain of Fred Astaire Dance Studios around the country. Astaire and son Fred Jr. on the cover of the August 25, 1941 issue of LIFE Magazine. Fred's retirement was short-lived however. When Gene Kelly broke an ankle playing touch football and was unable to make EASTER PARADE (1948) with Judy Garland and Ann Miller , MGM asked Fred to fill in. He did, and the film's success lead to a contract with Arthur Freed 's musical unit at MGM and a decade more of Astaire films.

The following year he was reunited with Ginger Rogers for their tenth and final musical, THE BARKLEYS OF BROADWAY (1949). During this second phase of Astaire's film career, though the quality of plots and songs varied, Fred continued to develop inventive dance routines. In ROYAL WEDDING (1951) with Jane Powell , he danced one number with a coat-rack and a second on the walls and ceiling of a hotel room. Other notable partners from this period included Cyd Charisse (THE BAND WAGON (1953) and SILK STOCKINGS (1957)), Vera-Ellen (THREE LITTLE WORDS (1950) and THE BELLE OF NEW YORK (1952)), and Audrey Hepburn ( FUNNY FACE (1957)).

In March 1950, Ginger Rogers presented Fred with an honorary Oscar on behalf of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences for "his unique artistry and his contributions to the technique of musical pictures." In 1959, Fred made his dramatic film debut in ON THE BEACH, and though he made one more musical, the unsuccessful FINIAN'S RAINBOW (1968) with Petula Clark, the remainder of his films showcased Fred as an actor. Most notable among these later pictures were THE PLEASURE OF HIS COMPANY (1961) with Debbie Reynolds and THE TOWERING INFERNO (1974) for which he received a Best Supporting Actor nomination. Fred also kept busy in television, appearing in his own special, "An Evening with Fred Astaire" which earned nine Emmy awards, and in 1959 he published an autobiography entitled Steps in Time. Astaire stopped dancing professionally about 1970 when he was already over 70 years old, explaining that his age restricted his ability to perform at a level acceptable to him. He continued to make appearances however, and in 1976 teamed with Gene Kelly to host THAT'S ENTERTAINMENT!

II, a sequel compilation of film clips from the great MGM musicals. In 1973, Fred was honored by the Film Society of Lincoln Center in a two-and-a-half hour gala featuring 40 dance excerpts from his films which he picked himself. In 1981, the American Film Institute presented him with its ninth Life Achievement Award. Married to Phyllis Livingston Potter (who had a son, Peter, from a previous marriage) in 1933, Astaire had two children: Fred Jr., born in 1936, and daughter Ava, born in 1942. Phyllis Astaire died of cancer in 1955, and in 1980 at age 81, Fred remarried. His second wife, Robyn Smith, then age 35 and a former jockey, shared with Fred a life-long interest in horses. Fred had been a stable owner and avid horse-racing fan for over 30 years. Astaire made his final film appearance in GHOST STORY (1981) and died of pneumonia in Los Angeles, California on June 22, 1987 at the age of 88.

Return to the Fred Astaire main page. Now in Print! Fred Astaire - Biography - IMDb Fred Astaire Biography Showing all 82 items Jump to: Overview (4) | Mini Bio (1) | Spouse (2) | Trade Mark (3) | Trivia (46) | Personal Quotes (26) Overview (4) 5' 9" (1.75 m) Mini Bio (1) Fred Astaire was born in Omaha, Nebraska, to Johanna (Geilus) and Fritz Austerlitz, a brewer. Fred entered show business at age 5. He was successful both in vaudeville and on Broadway in partnership with his sister, Adele Astaire . After Adele retired to marry in 1932, Astaire headed to Hollywood. Signed to RKO, he was loaned to MGM to appear in Dancing Lady (1933) before starting work on RKO's Flying Down to Rio (1933). In the latter film, he began his highly successful partnership with Ginger Rogers , with whom he danced in 9 RKO pictures. During these years, he was also active in recording and radio.

On film, Astaire later appeared opposite a number of partners through various studios. After a temporary retirement in 1945-7, during which he opened Fred Astaire Dance Studios, Astaire returned to film to star in more musicals through 1957. He subsequently performed a number of straight dramatic roles in film and TV. - IMDb Mini Biography By: Diana Hamilton <hamilton@gl.umbc.edu> Spouse (2) ( 12 July 1933 - 13 September 1954) (her death) (2 children) Trade Mark (3) Often wore top hat and tails His unique dancing Ending an active dance sequence by calmly strolling off Trivia (46) Ranked #73 in Empire (UK) magazine's "The Top 100 Movie Stars of All Time" list. [October 1997] Following his death, he was interred at Oakwood Memorial Park in Chatsworth, California, where longtime dancing partner, Ginger Rogers , is located. The evaluation of Astaire's first screen test: "Can't act. Can't sing. Balding.

Can dance a little." Astaire disguised his very large hands by curling his middle two fingers while dancing. First met lifelong best friend Irving Berlin on the set of Top Hat (1935). After Blue Skies (1946), New York's Paramount Theater generated a petition of 10,000 names to persuade him to come out of retirement. Born at 9:16pm-CST The only time he and Gene Kelly ever danced together on screen (other than the linking-segments in the 1976 compilation movie, That's Entertainment, Part II (1976)) was in one routine, titled "The Babbitt and the Bromide" in the 1946 movie Ziegfeld Follies (1945). Appears on the cover of The Beatles ' "Sgt Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band" album. He was one of the first Kennedy Center Honorees in 1978. Don McLean 's song "Wonderful Baby" was written with Astaire in mind; Astaire reportedly loved the song, and recorded it for an album.

Made a cameo appearance in John Lennon and Yoko Ono 's film Imagine (1972), escorting Yoko through a doorway; after one successful take, he asked to try again, believing he could do a better job. In 2000, the following album was released as a tribute to him: "Let Yourself Go: Celebrating Fred Astaire". All songs were performed by Stacey Kent . He was voted the 19th Greatest Movie Star of all time by Entertainment Weekly. His legs were insured for one million dollars. Famously wore a necktie around his waist instead of a belt, an affectation he picked up from his friendship with actor Douglas Fairbanks but often mistakenly attributed to Astaire alone. He was voted the 23rd Greatest Movie Star of All Time by Premiere magazine. Named the #5 Greatest Actor on the 50 Greatest Screen Legends by the American Film Institute. Born only 18 months after his sister Adele Astaire .

Is one of the many movie stars mentioned in Madonna 's song "Vogue" He and Ginger Rogers appeared in 10 movies together: Flying Down to Rio (1933), The Gay Divorcee (1934), Roberta (1935), Top Hat (1935), Follow the Fleet (1936), Swing Time (1936), Shall We Dance (1937), Carefree (1938), The Story of Vernon and Irene Castle (1939) and The Barkleys of Broadway (1949). Although he spent most of his childhood touring on the vaudeville circuit, he would occasionally settle down with his family and their neighbors and friends, who were almost all families of Austrian immigrants. Aside from starring in the film Funny Face (1957), he also starred in the original 1927 Broadway version of the George Gershwin and Ira Gershwin musical "Funny Face". Although he was the male lead in the show, he did not play the same character he does in the film, and the storyline of the original stage musical was entirely different from the one in the film.

Both play and film used many of the same songs. The studio may have felt that the original plot of "Funny Face" could not be properly adapted into a movie as it was an "ensemble" musical with people dropping out and parts changing all the time. Apparently the studio bought the rights to the title just so they could use the song. The plot of this movie is actually that of the unsuccessful Broadway musical "Wedding Bells" by Leonard Gershe . His character in the film is based on photographer Richard Avedon , who in fact, set up most of the photography shown in the film. The soggy Paris weather played havoc with the shooting of the wedding dress dance scene. Both Astaire and Audrey Hepburn were continually slipping in the muddy and slippery grass. While all music and songs were known to be dubbed (recorded before filming), his tap dancing was dubbed also. He "over-dubbed" his taps - recording them live as he danced to the previously recorded taps. Wore his trademark top hat and tails in his very first movie appearance, Dancing Lady (1933). Good friends with actress Carol Lynley . Fred's father was born in Austria.

Fred's paternal grandparents, Salomon Stefan Austerlitz and Lucie Hellerová, were Czech Jews who had converted to Catholicism. Fred's mother was born in Nebraska, to David Geilus and Wilhelmine Klaatke, Lutheran immigrants from Germany. Biography in: "The Scribner Encyclopedia of American Lives". Volume Two, 1986-1990, pages 36-38. New York: Charles Scribner's Sons, 1999. Inducted into the International Tap Dance Hall of Fame in 2002 (inaugural class). For Daddy Long Legs (1955), Leslie Caron told Fred that she wanted to create her own costumes for the film. Fred Astaire told her: "Okay, but no feathers, please", recalling the troubles he had with one of Ginger Rogers ' elaborate ostrich feathered gowns in a dance from Top Hat (1935). A feather broke loose from Ginger Rogers' dress and stubbornly floated in mid air around Astaire's face.

The episode was recreated to hilarious effect in a scene from Easter Parade (1948) in which Fred Astaire danced with a clumsy, comical dancer portrayed by Judy Garland . Tony Martin , the husband of Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer star/dancer Cyd Charisse , said he could tell who she had been dancing with that day on the set. If she came home covered with bruises on her, it was the very physically-demanding Gene Kelly , if not it was the smooth and agile Fred Astaire . Owned Blue Valley Ranch, a Thoroughbred horse breeding farm in the San Fernando Valley. He maintained a racing stable of four or five horses which competed at racetracks in California. His most famous racehorse was Triplicate, winner of the 1946 Hollywood Gold Cup. Profiled in "American Classic Screen Interviews" (Scarecrow Press) (2010). When Ginger Rogers received a Kennedy Center Honor in 1992, Robyn Smith , widow of Fred Astaire , withheld all rights to clips of Rogers' scenes with Astaire, demanding payment. The Kennedy Center refused and Rogers received her honor without the retrospective show.

Founder of Ava Records, named for his daughter, Ava Astaire-McKenzie . Joining ASCAP in 1942, he collaborated with Johnny Mercer and Gladys Shelly . His popular song compositions include "I'm Building Up to an Awful Let-Down", "Blue Without You", "If Swing Goes, I Go Too", "Just Like Taking Candy from a Baby", "Just One More Dance, Madame", "I'll Never Let You Go", "Oh, My Achin' Back" and "Sweet Sorrow". He was the very first name entered on IMDB (nm0000001). Politically, Astaire was a conservative and a lifelong Republican Party supporter, though he never made his political views publicly known. Along with Bing Crosby , George Murphy , Ginger Rogers and others, he was a charter (founding) member of the Hollywood Republican Committee. Universal Pictures offered Astaire the chance to direct the musical comedy Up in Central Park (1948), but he declined. William A. Seiter directed instead. He was honored as Turner Classic Movies Star of the Month.

[December 2013] He was awarded a Star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame at 6756 Hollywood Boulevard in Hollywood, California on February 8, 1960. Became a father for the first time at age 36 when his first wife Phyllis Potter gave birth to their son Fred Astaire Jr. on January 21, 1936. Became a father for the second time at age 42 when his first wife Phyllis Potter gave birth to their daughter Ava Astaire-McKenzie on March 28, 1942. Died 18 years to the day after his Easter Parade (1948) co-star, Judy Garland . Garland on June 22, 1969 and Astaire on June 22, 1987. First wife Phyllis Potter (née Phyllis Livingston Baker) passed away from lung cancer at age 46 while Astaire was filming Daddy Long Legs (1955).

He was stepfather to Eliphalet IV (known as Peter), the son of his first wife, Phyllis, and her first husband, Eliphalet Nott Potter III. Personal Quotes (26) I have never had anything that I can remember in the business - and that includes all the movies and the stage shows and everything - that I didn't enjoy. I didn't like some of the small-time vaudeville, because we weren't going on and getting better. Aside from that, I didn't dislike anything. [on modern movies] They tend to overdo the vulgarity. I'm not embarrassed by the language itself, but it's embarrassing to be listening to it, sitting next to perfect strangers. Of course, [ Ginger Rogers ] was able to accomplish sex through dance. We told more through our movements instead of the big clinch. We did it all in the dance. I had some ballet training but didn't like it. It was like a game to me. People think I was born in top hat and tails. The hardest job kids face today is learning good manners without seeing any. It's nice that all the composers have said that nobody interprets a lyric like Fred Astaire.

But when it comes to selling records I was never worth anything particularly except as a collector's item. [on his screen partnership with Ginger Rogers ] Ginger was brilliantly effective. She made everything work for her. Actually, she made things very fine for the both of us and she deserves most of the credit for our success. I suppose I made it look easy, but gee whiz, did I work and worry. Dancing is a sweat job. [to Jack Lemmon ] You're at a level where you can only afford one mistake. The higher up you go, the more mistakes you're allowed. Right at the top, if you make enough of them, it's considered to be your style. I don't want to be the oldest performer in captivity... I don't want to look like a little old man dancing out there. I have no desire to prove anything by it [dancing]. I never used it as an outlet or as a means of expressing myself. I just dance. [on John Travolta in Saturday Night Fever (1977)] He's not a dancer. What he did in those dance scenes was very attractive but he is basically not a dancer. I was dancing like that years ago, you know.

Disco is just jitterbug. [on Ginger Rogers ] She may have faked a little, but we knew we had a good thing going. [on tap dancer Eleanor Powell ] Eleanor was an out-and-out dancer. She danced like a man. She slammed the floor and did it great and that's fine and suddenly she's on her toes in the ballet sequence -- it did look kinda funny. [on Rita Hayworth ] A great dancer but a different style to me. [on Judy Garland ] She was just simply wonderful. She danced beautifully, learned beautifully. She was very adept at whatever she did. Really in fine form. We were all set to do another picture together, but she got sick and that was the end of that. [on actress/dancer Leslie Caron ] A ballet dancer really, but technically good. I called her the sergeant major. [on Gene Kelly ] You know, that Kelly, he's just terrific. That's all there is to it. He dances like crazy, he directs like crazy. I adore this guy. I really am crazy about his work. (on dancing partner Cyd Charisse ) When you dance with her, you stay danced.

[on joining the cast of The Towering Inferno (1974)] It's a fun picture to make - all fire and water. I'm just a hoofer with a spare set of tails. All the girls I ever danced with thought they couldn't do it. So they always cried. All except Ginger. No, no, Ginger never cried. Excuse me, I must say Ginger was certainly the one. You know, the most effective partner I had. Everyone knows. That was a whole other thing that we did...I just want to pay a tribute to Ginger because we did so many pictures together and believe me it was a value to have that girl...she had it. She was just great! Ginger was brilliantly effective. She made everything work for her. Actually she made everything work very fine for both of us and she deserves most of the credit for our success. See also Fred Astaire and His Dancing Partners - Classic Film Fred Astaire and His Dancing Partners Guest Author - Amber Grey Fred Astaire and Ginger Rogers are universally known for being one of the best partnerships in dance. But at first, Fred Astaire did not plan on dancing professionally.

It all started by accident when he began to imitate the studentsï¿½ movements in his sister Adeleï¿½s ballet class. His parents realized they could put together a brother and sister vaudeville act featuring the two singing, dancing and acting. They were called ï¿½The Astaires.ï¿½ After years of Fred appearing with his sister, Adele married, and Fred was left on his own. He decided to head toward Hollywood. Despite the rumored lackluster reports of his RKO screen test being, ï¿½Canï¿½t sing. Canï¿½t act. Balding. Can dance a little,ï¿½ Astaire made his first appearance dancing with his first on-screen partner, Joan Crawford, in ï¿½Dance Ladyï¿½ (1933). It was in ï¿½Flying Down to Rioï¿½ (1933) that Fred was paired with Ginger Rogers for the first time and started a phenomenon. Though they seemed to float as one across the dance floor, Fred had admitted, ï¿½Ginger never danced with a partner before. She faked an awful lot.

She couldnï¿½t tap or do this or that...But Ginger had style and talent and improved as she went along.ï¿½ Their second film, ï¿½The Gay Divorceeï¿½ (1934), was based on a stage musical by the same name which Fred had performed in on Broadway. Astaire and Rogers continued to dance their way through eight more popular musical films together. Although they separated after ï¿½The Story of Vernon and Irene Castleï¿½ (1939), Fred credited their success to Rogers: ï¿½She made everything work for her...She made things very fine for the both of us.ï¿½ In 1941, Fred Astaireï¿½s career was due for a big comeback, as it was somewhat failing since his split with Rogers. In ï¿½Youï¿½ll Never Get Richï¿½ (1941), Astaire danced with darling newcomer Rita Hayworth and thanks to the filmï¿½s great popularity, it thrust both of them into the limelight.

ï¿½I guess the only jewels in my life are the pictures I made with Fred Astaire,ï¿½ Hayworth would remark in her golden years. Astaire is on record as considering Hayworth to be his best and favorite dance partner because she ï¿½danced with trained perfection and individuality.ï¿½ Fred Astaire went on to dance with Lucille Bremer, Joan Leslie, and Gene Kelly in ï¿½Ziegfeld Folliesï¿½ (1946). Fredï¿½s thoughts on working with Gene, ï¿½Heï¿½s just terrific...I really am crazy about his work.ï¿½ In 1948, Fred would dance with Judy Garland, replacing an injured Kelly, in ï¿½Easter Paradeï¿½ (1948). And for one last time, Astaire and Rogers danced in ï¿½The Barkleys of Broadwayï¿½ (1949) ï¿½ a year before Rogers presented him with a special Academy Award.

Another string of musical films followed with co-stars such as Cyd Charisse in ï¿½Silk Stockingsï¿½ (1957) and Audrey Hepburn in ï¿½Funny Faceï¿½ (1957). ï¿½Finianï¿½s Rainbowï¿½ (1968) was Fred Astaireï¿½s last musical film. The film was not a box office success, due in part to inexperienced directing by a young Francis Ford Coppola, who did not understand the mechanics of directing the dance sequences, shooting silly close-ups of Fredï¿½s footwork. Though Fred Astaire continued to act in film and television, it is his illustrious body of work as the top hat, white tie and tails sophisticate that has immortalized him as the supreme dancer of his era. Family Announcements, Fred Astaire - Funeral Directors and services - Family Announcements Announcements Originally printed on June 22, 1987 in the Family Announcements. Viewed by 1629 Visitors.

Dance maestro Fred Astaire, the man whose top hat and tails graced the cinema screen for decades, died from pneumonia in Los Angeleson 22 June, 1987, at the age of 88. His work with legendary dance partner Ginger Rogers, with whom he starred in ten films, and composer Irving Berlin, who contributed songs to six of Mr Astaire’s films, helped make him the cinema legend that lives on today. A box office hit on both sides of the Atlantic, Mr Astaire demonstrated great agility and dance prowess.His skills developed from the world of ballet, through to tap, vaudeville and revue leading him ultimately to the movie musicals for which he is best-known. He was born Frederick Austerlitz in Omaha, Nebraska, on May 10, 1899, the son of an Austrian immigrant travelling salesman. He had one sister, Adele, 18 months his senior. With Adele he went to ballet school and later to a performing arts school which pioneered modern tap dancing. He and Adele made their vaudeville debut in 1905.

Their Broadway debut came in 1917 and they danced their way through to 1922 when they received rave reviews in For Goodness Sake with songs by George and Ira Gershwin. In the 1920s they continued along the route to stardom with stage triumphs such as Funny Face, Lady Be Good and Band Wagon but in 1932 Adele retired to get married and left Mr Astaire looking for a new partner. He teamed up with Clare Luce for Cole Porter’s comedy musical The Gay Divorce which was to be his last stage musical. A screen test for RKO pictures saw Mr Astaire signed up but there was to be no work and he made his film debut on loan-out to MGM in the 1933 film Dancing Lady. Later that year he featured in Flying Down To Rio where his female counterpart was RKO contract player Ginger Rogers. Their one dance number together stole the picture and the pair became the silver screen’s dance heroes going on to make nine films in just six years. They were depression-era money-makers including Top Hat, Follow the Fleet and Swing Time.

His RKO contract having run out, Mr Astaire freelanced and was involved in a number of films - Easter Parade with Judy Garland, his tenth and final film with Ms Rogers, The Barclays of Broadway, Royal Wedding with Jane Powell, The Band Wagon and Silk Stockings starring Cyd Charisse and Funny Face with Audrey Hepburn. One very special face-to-face meeting between Mr Astaire and Ms Rogers came in 1950 when she presented him with an honorary Oscar from the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences for “his unique artistry and his contributions to the technique of musical pictures”. Mr Astaire ended his professional dancing career in 1970 when at 70 he said his age restricted his ability to perform at a level acceptable to himself. However his acting continued and he received a Best Supporting Actor nomination for his role in The Towering Inferno the blockbuster of 1974. In 1933 he married Phyllis Livingston Potter and the couple had two children, Fred Jr. and Ava. MrsAstairedied of cancer in 1955. Mr Astaire married his second wife, Robyn Smith, then aged 35, in 1980.

She was a former jockey, who shared Mr Astaire’s life-long love of horses and horse-racing. Throughout his life Mr Astaire worked hard to achieve his success which did not come easily. He learned his trade from the very basics and entered the world of performing through the hard road of revues and touring. His months of having to find work through freelancing were not easy and despite an enviable success rate not every film that carried the Astaire name met with hearty applause from the critics. True, he could sing and act but both skills were hidden behind the wizardry that was his ability to dance. They were the vehicles through which he showcased his ultimate love of dance, vehicles which carried him to the top. Mr Astaire strived to be the best and achieved his aim. He brought a unique persona to the screen. His style, his innate grace, his singing voice, and of course, his dancing, are all inimitable. The charm, the elegance and the true class of the man still shine today. Share your memories A TRIP DOWN MEMORY LANE: ASTAIRE'S FORGOTTEN DANCE PARTNERS A nostalgic journey to the past to relive the golden days of entertainment!

Friday, September 20, 2013 ASTAIRE'S FORGOTTEN DANCE PARTNERS Fred Astaire danced with some of the most talented leading ladies from Ginger Rogers to Cyd Charisse. Many people would agree that he never danced with anyone better than Rogers, but Astaire danced with numerous leading ladies over his forty year career in Hollywood. Not every dancer Astaire made a movie with spelled success or are remembered as Ginger Rogers was. After Rogers, Fred Astaire made a lot of movies with different actresses in the early to mid 1940s. After leaving RKO in 1939, Astaire made his way to Paramount Studios. The studio teamed Astaire with Bing Crosby, and since the men were the stars of 1942′s Holiday Inn, the studio could cast females who weren’t necessarily name above the title types. Thus Marjorie Reynolds (1917-1997) and Virginia Dale (1917-1994) got their chances to dance with the master. Rewatching the movie, Reynolds danced with Astaire better than Dale did. Virginia Dale's main number with the famed dancer was "You're Easy To Dance With".

Dale looks like at the most she is making all of her steps, but she looks heavy footed. It is definitely not a comfortable or graceful pair. Astaire does much better with Marjorie Reynolds. Reynolds could not sing a lick, but her dancing is much better than Virginia Dale's attempted moves. Reynolds and Astaire's best number was "Be Careful It's My Heart". It is a graceful and elegant slow dance, I could have seen the dancing duo making another movie together but they never did. However, after this film both actress-dancers returned to B films and faded from public view — although Reynolds had a brief comeback on TV as the wife on the popular Fifties situation comedy, The Life of Riley, starring William Bendix as the bumbling Chester Riley. At the age of 18, beautiful actress Joan Leslie (born 1925) was paired with Astaire in the film The Sky's The Limit. The score was written by Johnny Mercer, but not much greatness came out of the movie except for the song "One For My Baby". Astaire did a great job on the song, but it became the unofficial anthem of Frank Sinatra in the 1950s.

All dances were choreographed by and credited to Astaire alone, another unusual departure for him, as he generally worked with collaborators. What is not unusual is the selection of dance routines, which is the standard Astaire formula of a comic partnered routine, a romantic partnered routine and a "sock" solo, each of which is seamlessly integrated into the plot. Joan Leslie is one of the most beautiful actresses in the 1940s, but she could sing as well as she could dance. The only good dance numbers were the ones that Astaire did on his own. Lucille Bremer (1917-1996) was an accomplished dancer under contract to MGM. She was a former Radio City Hall Rockette who had been on Broadway, and after signing with the studio was given a big push. She was Judy Garland’s older sister in Meet Me in St. Louis, then given a starring part opposite Astaire in Yolanda and the Thief, released in 1945. She danced with him again in two sequences for The Ziegfeld Follies (1946). But then, after Til the Clouds Roll By, she seemed to fall out of favor with Mayer and producer Arthur Freed.

In later years it was reported that after singer Ginny Simms turned down Louis B. Mayer's advances that he turned to Lucille Bremer who became his secret girlfriend for awhile. When she broke up with him, he basically made sure she would never be a huge star. I never thought she danced well with Astaire. Her best dance scene was with Van Johnson in Til The Clouds Roll By, but then again Bremer looked good dancing next to Johnson. In any event it was deemed that she hadn’t scored with the public. Her career languished. Whether it was the studio’s, or Bremer’s decision, her contract wasn’t renewed. She starred in a few non dancing roles, then retired. After dancing with Joan Caulfield and Olga San Juan in another Bing Crosby film, Blue Skies (1946) Astaire retired from movies yet again. However, he was a work alcoholic and he was coaxed back to working by MGM and an injured Gene Kelly for Easter Parade (1948) with Judy Garland. Throughout the 1950s Fred Astaire kept dancing with new, younger partners. like Vera-Ellen, Jane Powell, Leslie Caron, Audrey Hepburn, and Cyd Charisse.

No matter how big, or small their careers might be the women who danced with Fred Astaire on screen are in a class by themselves... Posted by

Question: Who was Fred Astaire's female leading lady in the 1948 film `Easter Parade'?
Answer: Judy Garland